Let’s step back for a second and address the vast landscape that is veterinary software. Some of it is cloud-based, some of it isn’t. Some are pay-as-you-go, some are subscription based, and even a lucky few are free. Whatever the case may be, I think the veterinary
industry, as a whole, is certainly guilty of one commonality: complacency. Veterinary medicine can be a slow-moving mammoth at times, preferring the familiar and the safe over something new that might upset the long-established balance. At the end of the day, it is easy to slip into the comfortable and seamless flow of the familiar; in other words, to do things as they’ve always been done. This preference for the familiar and long-established is no different in the sphere of veterinary software. Personally, I would wager that most practices have been using the same software for the better part of the past decade or so. But that is only natural. It is, of course, much easier to just continue using what has always been there, rather than take the time to sit down and take a long, hard look at your practice’s software.
I would imagine that, by now, you may have picked up on where I’m going with this. Today, I’m going to challenge your old habits. I’m going to challenge the way you think about veterinary software and how it should integrate with your practice. Not because it is the edgy thing to do, or I’m young and think I know better than you. I’m challenging you because it could prove to be a healthy exercise, not only for you as a practitioner, but for you as a business owner; as someone who is interested in the health and vibrancy of their small business. Ultimately, this will be an exercise in challenging the veterinary software norms of our day. Where deficiencies might be hidden, where old habits might be affecting productivity, and where efficiencies can be found or even built anew.
Over the next few posts, we will be looking at some specifics regarding veterinary software, like what services should be considered standard, as well as asking some bigger questions about the nature of veterinary software in 2016 (namely: should you really be paying for your software anymore?) So, today, I’ll leave you with some questions to consider as we move forward. These questions are simply meant to frame the conversation in the coming posts, as well as direct you in your questioning of your current software. Take them as they are (brain food, meant to stimulate your thinking!), and nothing more.
- When did you buy/download your software? Or, better yet, when was the last time you updated your software?
- How much are you currently paying for it?
- Are there more features you COULD have, but you’d have to pay more for them?
- What services/features come standard?
- Is your practice taking advantage of the cloud?
- How long does it take a new employee to learn your current software?
- If you asked your employees, what would they say about your software?
- If you like your current software, why?
